Production of emulsions



May l, 1928.

C. A. AGTHE PRODUCTION 0F EMULS IONS Filed March 12. 1923 Patented May 1, 1928.

,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

om Lampen herrin, oF zunicii, SWITZERLAND.

PRODUCTION OF EMULSIONS.

Application nl ed March 12, 1928, Serial No. 624,497, and 1n Germany March. 13, 1922.

In many cases it is necessary to intimately mix substances which are non-soluble or reluctantly soluble in order to utilize the substances in the form of emulsions, suspen- 5 sions, gels, jellies and similar disperse systems or in order to cause them to Yenter into reactions. The simplest methodof attaining this condition consists in the mechanical dispersion of the component parts. As a rule the substance forming the dis erse must be very inel disintegrate in or er to be emulsified in t e dispersion medium.

The hitherto known processes for effecting the dispersion by mechanical means present ,the disadvantages that they either do not allow of attaining a sufficiently high degree ofV dispersion or ,t at they are of such va complicated nature that they preclude the treatment of large quantities of substances and articularly when cheap products have to e manufactured.

It has already been proposed to produce di rse systems by mechanically atomizin liquids, melting substances with the aid o i compressed gases and vapours and by embodying the atomized substances in a dispersion medium. This process has been carried out in atomizin the substance to be emulsied by means o compressed gas, compressed air, h1 h pressure steam and the like, whereupon t e atomized substance is embodied in the dispersion medium to be used. The known process has the drawback that considerable losses of the substances to be mixed with each other cannot be avoided, further some of thc small particles obtained by the atomizing process agglomerate and form un desirable large particles.

The subject matter of the present invention is a process for the continuous production of emulsions, suspensions and similar disperse systems and for the ,carrying out of reactions, by mechanicall atomizin liquids by means of a jet o compresse gases-or vapours acting as atomizing agent and by incorporating the atomized substances in a dispersion medium, which process is characterized by the fact that the atomzin device is submerged below the 5o level of t e dispersion medium and that the atomizing agent is caused to condense within the dispersion medium. This novel process is adapted to overcome completely the disadvantages mentioned above. Fllhe oh- 56 tained degree of dispersion is exceedingly hase rated great and the manner of working is very simple and economical.

If for instance the dispersion medium is an aqueous solution, then the atomizing is effected by means of a steam Vjet which is pro3ected into the aqueous dispersion medium and is conducted into or on the substance to be dispersed. The whole atomizing process is carried out below the level of the aqueous dispersion medium so that the sepaarticles can immediately distribute themse ves 1n or diffuse through the dispersion medium whilst the steam is condensed.

If on the other hand the dis erse system has to be produced in which, or instance, petroleum acts as the dispersion medium, petroleum vapour or another kind of va our adapted to condense in petroleum suc as for instance benzine vapour, are chosen as atomizing agents and the liquid substance to be brought vinto the dispersed phase is conducted onto or into this vapour jet. Also in this case the atomizing effect occurs below the level of the petroleum forming the dispersion medium.

l The advantages of the workin of the present process are evident. No osses of the material occur and the atomized small particles of the substance to be dispersed are quickly diiused in the dispersion mediuin so that an agglomeration of the particles by oun ing against each other is avoided. referably a suitable rotective agent or colloid is added to the ispersion medium whereby the action of the latter is enhanced.

Several constructional arrangements for carrying into effect the proce'ssgaccording to the present invention are illustrated on the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fi 1 shows in a diagrammatic manner the evice for carrying out the dispersion of a substance,

Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sections through tw modifications of the atomizing device, an

Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate in a vertical section along line TV1-IV in Fig. 5 and in a plan view respectively a further modified atomizing device.

Referring now to Fig. 1, 1 denotes a receptacle in which the disperse system is roduced. The receptacle 1 is partially led with a dispersion medium supplied by means of a pipe 2 leading from a receptacle 3. The supply is controlled by means of a valve 4. An a'tomizing device 5 is submerged in the liquid of the receptacle 1, a steam pipe 6l leading to the device 5. The latter is connected to a receptacle 8, by means of a pipe 7, which receptacle contains the substance to be dispersed. The pipe 7 is provided with a valve 9 and the receptacle 1 is provided with an overflow 10 and an yemptying valve 11.

First ot all the receptacle 1 is filled with the dispersion medium, i. e. with a 4% solution ot' potash-soap, derived from the receptacle 3, up to such a level that theatomizing device is completely submerged in the dispersion medium 12. Then the steam jet is allowed to pass `through the device 5 and simultaneously the valve 9 is opened, whereby mineral oil, i. e. the liquid to be emulsiied, is conducted into the steam. jet at 13. The steam projecting through a round opening causes an atomizng of the oil, which is discharged through the circular gap 13 into the steam jet, the steam jet carrying the small oil particles with it and lprojects the latter into the dispersion medium 1.2. The oil is fed by gravity to the atomizing device 5. lVhen the process is started the valve 4 is opened to admit such a quantity of the dispersion medium that an emulsion of a desired concentration is discharged through the overflow 10. The substance to be dispersed, i. e. the oil in the above case, may also be forced into the atomizing device 5 by means of a force pump.

Obviously the process is the more economical the less steam is utilized for atomizing the substance to be dis ersed.

As the atomizing eiectepends only on the surface of the steam jet which comes in direct contact with the substance to be dispersed and with the emulsifying liquid, and the mechanical force of the inner parts of the jet is not utilized for atomizing purposes, the cross-sectional area of the steam jet should be kept as small as possible and thc contact area with the substance to be disper-sed should be as large as possible.

It is therefore advantageous to make use of the possibility of eiecting a'mechanical atcmizing by the atomizing agent, for instance by the steam, in causing the latter to be discharged through a slot shaped opening. In this manner a steam jet is obtained tl-.at has a small cross-sectional area in rel conduit 24. The Part 25 1s provided withlaton to the surface with which .the substance to be dispersed contacts.

Fig. 2 shows a detail of the device illustrated in Fig. 1, i. e. an atomizing device with a nozzle. The end of the pipe 7 supplyingthe substance to be dispersed is enlarged and is provided at its lower part with exterior screw thread with which the interior screw thread of a cover 15 cooperates. The

cover is provided with a central opening 16 -an inserted member 2O screwed into the pipe 17; the steam jet passes through the opening 16. The conduit 17 is provided with hollow walls and through the hollow spaces or jackets 2l thus formed cooling water or heating gases, whichever are required in a special case, may be led, in order to eiect an equalization between the temperatures of the steam and of the atomizing agent, so that for instance an undesirable boiling or hardening of the substance to be dispersed within the nozzle is avoided. The insertion 20 illustrated is of a conical shape, but it might also be made cylindrical. By -interchangmg the inserted member 2Oy the width of the annular opening 19 may be altered. By screwing the cover 15 more or less to the conduit 7 the height of the opening 18 and thereby the degree of dispersion may be altered. The discharge opening for the steam is thus an annular opening to the outer circumference of which the substance to be dispersed is conducted. This arrangement presents the advantage of permitting in a simple manner an alternation of the cross-sectional area of the steam jet with a given nozzle. Y

With an annular opening, i. e. a hollow jet for the steam discharge 1t is economically advantageous to conduct the substance to be dispersed from outside and from inside towards the hollow jet, whereby the substance to be dispersed and supplied to the interior of the hollow 'et may be different to the substance to be ispersed and supplied to the exterior of said jet.

An atomizing device of this type'is shown in ,a vertical section in Fig. 3. The steam is 'injected through the conduit 22 and is discharged through the annular opening 23 in the form of a hollow jet, against the inner and the outerv surfaces of which the medium to be dispersed is conducted by Ameans of the conduits 24 and the receptacle 27 respectively. The part 25 provided at the lower end of the conduit 24 may be ad- 'usted by screwing it more or less into the openings 26 through which the liquid to be dispersed gets into contact with the interior of the hollow steam jet. The contact of the substance to be dispersed with the exterior of the hollow steamjet is effected b the gap 28 between cover 29 screwed to the ower end of the receptacle 27 and the lower end of the pipe 22. The cover 29 is provided with a central opening 30 into which the part 25 projects, whereby an annular discharge o enin for the steam and the particles of e .su stance to be dispersed and carriedaway by the'steam is formed.

It must be assumed that the nozzle of the atomizing device according to Fig. 2 as well as that according to Fig. 3 is arran .ed within the receptacle l illustrated in 1g. 1.

The hollow jet may be of an elli tical and of any other suitable shape instea of being a hollow cylinder.

Owing to these arrangements the process i may be carried out ver economically and it grease by means of emulsions of benzine,

benzol, carbontetrachloride and similar purifying and extracting substances or mixtures of the latter, particularly in washing wool, in which case large quantities are utilized. "lhe process is also well ada ted for carrying out reactions between sugstances which are non-soluble or reluctantly soluble one in the other. Also in this case it is a great advantage w en a minimum of power is required for the dispersion ofthe substances.

Furthermore the present process may with advantage be made use of in the manufacture of margarine, for instance in order to effect the emulsifying of foreign fat into the dispersion liquid, for instance into milk de prived of its fat.

-Diiierent substances may be dispersed separately in the same dispersion medium by the action of one steam jet, as the latter is able to atomize simultaneously several liquid substances, an atomizing device of this type is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. 31 denotes the conduit through which steam is supplied and 32 is a receptacle provided with three separating walls 33, 34 and 35. To each of the three compartments separated from each other by the walls 33, 34 and 35, for instance a gelatine solution coloured by one of the three fundamental colours is su plied. Turpentine vapour is caused to ow through the pipe 31 and the three gelatine solutions are simultaneously atomized by the vapour jet at the gap 36 formed between the lower end of the pipe 31 and the bottom of the receptacle 32. The dispersion liquid into which the vapour jet together ,with the atomized substances is propected consists inthis special ease of turpentine. Each of the separate compartments is provided with asupply opening 38 for the substanceto be dispersed. The height of the gap 36 can be ad- ]usted by turning the nut 37. In this manner the emulsion required for manufacturing I photographic plates for use with the coloui` photography is obtained.

I claim: f

1. The continuous process of producing dispersoids such as emulsoids, suspensions an the like, which consists in mechanically atomizing the substance to be dispersed by means of an atomizing agent in the form of a hollow Huid jet by causing the substance to be dispersed to contact with the interior and the exterior of said hollow jet and in incorporating the atomizing agent together with the atoinized substance carried by said jet in a dispersion. medium by condensing ,the atomizing agent in the latter,'the atomization being carried out within the body of t-he dispersion medium to obtain effective agitation.

2. The continuous process of (producing dispersoids such as emulsions an the like which com rises atomizing a plurality of substances y means of a single jet of atomizing medium in submer ed contact with a Vdispersion medium in w ich the atomizing medium is condensable.

3. The continuous Vprocess of (producing dispersoids such as emulsions an the like, which com rises atomizing a plurality of substances y means of a single Jet of atomizing medium in submerged contact with a dispersion medium in. which the atomizing medium is condensable and soluble.

4. The continuous process of (producing dispersoids suoli as emulsions an the like, which comprises atomizing by means of a single hollow jet of an atomizing medium a plurality of substances having external and internal contact with said jet.

5. The continuous process of producing dispersoids such as emulsions and the like, which comprises atomizing by means of a single hollow jet of an atomizing medium a plurality of substances having external and internal contact with said jet in submerged contact with a dispersion liquid in which the medium is condensable.

6. A device for the continuous production of dispersoids such as emulsoids, sus ensions and the like, comprising in combination, a conduit adapted to supply an atomizin agent, a second v-conduit arranged coaxia ly within the lirst conduit and adapted to supply a medium ,to be dispersed, the an.- nular space between said conduits serving as nozzle means to cause the atomizing agent toA take up the form of a hollow jet, closing means provided atl the lower end of said second conduit and..` ermitting of an access of the medium to be dispersed to the interior of said hollow jet, ,areceptacle surrounding and vthe latter, means to supply the medium to be dis ersed to said rece taele, a cover screwe to the lower end o said receptacle rovided with a central aperture surroun ed by an upwardly projecting ange the up er edge of which ends at a small dlstance rom the lower end of the first conduit thus forming a gap. through which the medium to be dispersed and suplpled to the rece tacle gets into contact wit the exterior of t e hollow jet for atomization, and a. receptacle'adapted to hold a dispersion medium, said atomization ,means being arranged within the body of the dispersion medium contained in said receptacle.

7. An emulsier, comprising a receptacle, an atomizing nozzle disposed within said receptacle, and comprising a downwardly extending supply tube for the atomizin agent, a casing surrounding the end ofy sai tube-and a dispersing cone spaced from the bottom of said tube to form a slot said cas# ing supplying liquid through said slot into contact with the atomizing agent assing through said tube into the receptae e.

8. An enmlsiier, comprising a receptacle, an atomizing nozzle disposed within said receptacle and comprising a casing' having an adjustable bottom provided with a dispersing cone, a tube whose end enters said casing and is spaced from said cone to form a slot whose width is cont-rolled by the adjustment of said bottom, and means to supply liquid to be dispersed to said easing.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

CARL ALEXANDER AGTHE. 

